Raleigh Asphalt Overlay
It doesn’t matter how good the initial construction of a piece of pavement may have been done, eventually all paving is going to start to break down and show some signs of aging. Cracks will start to appear, sections may sink down slightly, or your pavement may just start looking unsightly with stains and damage.
It may seem to a lot of people that your only real viable option is going to be completely replacing your existing pavement. But we’re here to tell you that in a lot of cases, you can remedy these issues and save yourself some money with an asphalt overlay.
What is an Asphalt Overlay?
An asphalt overlay is a layer of asphalt, generally ranging from 1.5-2.5 inches thick, that is laid right over your existing pavement. Before we do any new paving though, we go over all of your pavement and fill/repair all potholes and fix any other damages. If we find any real severe damage, we generally just remove that area and apply a new patch to be safe.
Any low spots will be milled or filled to get them even, and the pavement will be cleaned off. We then will lay down your new layer of asphalt, we’re always careful to ensure no water or moisture is left before do our work, water is the greatest enemy of asphalt! An overlay is much cheaper than replacing your entire pavement, and it looks just like new, with a similar life expectancy!
So if your asphalt is struggling but isn’t in the worst shape, overlaying is a perfect money-saving solution.
How do you tell if your Pavement is a Candidate for Overlaying?
Asphalt overlays can be laid down on both concrete and asphalt pavements.
The ideal candidates for overlays are going to have very little to no damage to the pavement’s foundation and don’t have bad damage to more than a third of the surface. The call can only be made by an experienced contractor once they come out there and check out your pavement, an overlay may just not work on asphalt that has started to crumble or has huge dips and wide cracks. Any problems that exist before an overlay are just going to become worse and more prominent afterward, overlaying is not a quick fix for all of your issues. Say your pavement underneath is cracking and falling apart, well your new layer of asphalt is going to do the same since it’s bonded to the layer underneath.
Once the overlay has cured sufficiently, it’s time to go for seal coating and then line striping once all is dry and ready to go. As is the case for all asphalt pavements, overlays need to be properly maintained by having seal coating applied as needed and having any cracks that develop promptly repaired. If properly maintained, an overlay can provide 15 years or more of useful life, making it an extremely cost-effective method of rejuvenating aging pavements. So if you have the option, it’s really something you want to go for! It saves money long-term and gives you all the same effects of a brand new piece of paving.
Why You Need Unlimited Paving For All Raleigh Paving Needs
Unlimited Paving has wide-ranging experience in all different aspects of asphalt and concrete paving. A lot of companies just specialize in one particular thing, we pride ourselves on having expansive knowledge on every little thing and being able to say “yes, we sure can do that!”. From commercial companies to residential homes, Unlimited Paving can handle all of your paving needs! We love the chance to save you some money and deliver you fantastic, lasting results.
We offer our services all through and around the Raleigh, NC area
(919) 630-4129